In the evening of July 24th, Tang Jiaxuan, the president of China-Japan Friendship Association, met with and gave a banquet to Nakaima Hirokazu, the governor of Okinawa, at Diaoyutai State Guesthouse.

Tang Jiaxuan welcomed Nakaima and his delegation. He congratulated them on the establishment of Okinawa Industry Promotion Public Corporation Beijing Representative Office. He said, this year was the 40th anniversary of the normalization of China-Japan diplomatic relations and  Friendly Exchange Year of the Chinese and Japanese People. In the last 40 years, the relation between the two countries had achieved unprecedented development in wide ranging circles. At the present, China-Japan relation was at the crucial period of inheriting the past and moving forward to the future, which would be full of challenges. The both countries should manage to successfully hold the exchange activities of the Friendly Exchange Year of the Chinese and Japanese People, to deepen the friendship between the peoples. Okinawa, as the nearest neighboring Japanese province to China, shared the similar culture and history with China, and had sufficient tourism resources. He wished Okinawa and related Chinese provinces and cities make greater development in fields of contacts of local governments, tourism, economic and trading cooperation.

Nakaima appreciated Tang Jiaxuan for finding time from his tight schedule, to meet with the delegation. He wished Okinawa Industry Promotion Public Corporation Beijing Representative Office would strengthen contacts with all circles in China, deepen the understanding on Okinawa of the people in Beijing and its surrounding areas, and continuously make its efforts to promote the friendly contact between Okinawa and China.